Anytime
by Pinkchick
Summary: Tomorrow's graduation, but for Scott it isn't exactly the happiest occasion in his life. Why? Can Jean get the truth out of him so she can help? Some Jott. Please R&R! All comments greatly appreciated!


**Disclaimer:** Don't know them, don't own them. By the way, I also don't own any copyrights to the song "Anytime" by Kelly Clarkson. I'm just using it in this story. I don't mean to infringe on its copyright.

**Author's Note: **Hey all. Well, I'm back with a new fic. This idea came to me one day and I knew I had to write it down or type it up, or whatever. Lol. It was safe sailing when I also decided to add a song to it so it would make it have more emotion. I hope you guys really enjoy. I want to thank all reviewers who had previously reviewed "Sacrifice". I really appreciate it very much. Well, that's all for now. By the way, I don't wanna have to beg any of you but please, please don't forget to review this story when you're finished reading it. I won't be able to survive if you don't. the feedback is always welcome because I love to know what you guys think of this story. Please don't hesitate to press the little button on the bottom of the screen. Thanks and that's all -- now on with the show! Read, REVIEW, and ENJOY!!

**…………………………**

**Anytime**

**By: pinkchick**

**…………………………**

Jean Grey wandered the hallways of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters like a walking zombie. It was around one thirty in the morning and everyone was sound asleep. That hadn't come easily for her that night. It was odd, she woke up and suddenly felt queasy and uneasy from nervousness. It had wracked her entire stomach. She had gotten out of bed, careful not to wake anyone up and that's how she had ended up in the hallways, wandering and wondering. She had been wondering about her future. Where she would be in a few years, where she ultimately stood in life. She didn't really have a destination in mind, she just had to do something that took up her time. Her slender fingers traced the lavish brown walls of the mansion she had called home for so long. Her long red hair flailed behind her as her robe swished back and forth against her sides. When Jean reached the stairs, she stopped before proceeding. She creased her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes as she peered down through the glassy front doors of the mansion. Jean felt something automatically run through her and she knew exactly who it was. The soft silhouette stayed hidden in the shadows as it got up and walked away, into the woods.

Jean walked down the stairs slowly, a small smile gracing her lips. A yawn came up to meet her tired face and she let it out slowly. Her blue slippers trudged her down the stairs until she was near the front entrance. Jean slowly opened the door and made her way outside. As she made her way outside, she immediately felt a strong gust of wind blow past her. She tied her robe around her quickly and breathed in a long, deep breath. The air was crisp and the night was beautiful. Jean looked up at the stars and the moon and smiled at them as they shone brightly down on her. The wind stopped and a warm feeling blanketed her. She felt at peace with everything. Then, she remembered why she had come out here to begin with and walked the pathway towards the woods to meet up with the one person who always made her feel important.

…………………………

Scott Summers felt the cool air whip past him, rummaging through his hair softly. The trees swayed from side to side as he adjusted himself on the cold bank in the middle of the woods. He pulled his robe around him tightly and wondered why he had come out here. Then, it came back to him. He had come out here to think. It had been a sleepless night and only one thought came to his mind when he figured out the reason for his restlessness. Tomorrow. Tomorrow meant so much to him, all wrapped up in one word. Scott closed his eyes only to reopen them and find that his views of the world still hadn't changed. In his opinion, it had been the longest year that he had ever lived. With all the chaos that had ensued after mutants were exposed, the pressure of senior year, and the stress of finals, everything had gotten to him. Scott never even got the chance to sit down and reflect on what was going on in his life. It was odd, he had everything he wanted. He had a home, a family, a cause worth fighting for, and a beautiful girlfriend. Yet, the thoughts of tomorrow still caused him to fear and to think about what he really wanted out of life.

It was nerve wrecking, to say the least. He didn't know what he truly wanted to do with his life. In a way, he wished he was more like Jean. She knew exactly what she wanted to pursue, and in a way, he envied her. Jean had always been set on something, and when she made up her mind, the world had better watch out. Scott sighed and looked down at his hands in defeat. He realized that that wasn't the only thing that was depressing him at the moment. Jean's family was going to be there tomorrow. He had always dreamed that his family would be at his graduation day. After all, it was a defining moment in his life. His 'family' _was_ going to be there tomorrow, but as he thought about it he secretly wished that his parents were there to see. Thinking about them hurt him. It hurt to think that all of his classmates would have their parents there except for him. It wasn't that Scott didn't love his life now, or even his home. He was thankful to Professor Xavier for giving him a future when he thought that he would never even see the light of day again. But still, Scott couldn't help but think about his parents as the big day approached. He wondered if they would even be proud of him.

"You know they would've been," Scott heard a voice he knew all too well. He jumped slightly, startled at the sound at first. But, he welcomed it and gladly accepted it as he looked up into the very green eyes of his best friend and girlfriend, Jean Grey.

"Were you reading my mind?" Scott asked, seriousness in his voice. Jean flinched at his words and she knew that behind that façade, he wasn't trying to make a joke out of this. The worst thing that you could do to Scott was invade his privacy… especially that of his own mind. Convenient to know that the woman he loved was a telepath. He figure someone was trying to make a fool out of him but he loved her nonetheless. Jean sat down next to him and curled her feet beneath her upper thighs. She snuggled into his chest softly and was at peace just listening to the beating of his heart synchronizing with her own.

"No, actually," Jean replied, smiling softly. "You were projecting… I couldn't help it." Scott attempted a smile, but failed miserably at it. He turned away from her and she automatically knew that there was something wrong. She could feel it too. Jean closed her eyes and felt the strength of the link they shared run through her. It was usually breathtaking, but only when there was something to be happy about. Right now, that wasn't at all the case. Scott's mind wasn't even on the same page as hers, he was so far away. Jean frowned and sat up slowly looking at the side of his face. He was doing all that he could to try and avoid her gaze, but he knew he was trapped when he was stuck in a corner with the very stubborn Jean Grey.

"Why are you out here so late?" Jean asked, trying to make small conversation to break him out of his confined shell. Scott remained silent and continued staring at the moon. For a moment it had ducked away from view and behind a cloud. Only a minute later, it came back out, a small smile gracing it's face. Jean raised her eyebrows and studied Scott's stoic features. Sometimes she wondered if he had been like that as a child, or if his harsh life had caused him to become so detained of his feelings. It was saddening in a way. Jean turned his head towards her but she knew that his eyes were still somewhere else. She stroked his jaw line slowly and gently, he still didn't flinch. Jean turned to kissing his fingers. She still didn't get a response. What was wrong with him? Scott usually liked it when Jean touched him like that. "Scott, c'mon, talk to me. What are you thinking about?"

Finally, he spoke. "It's nothing, Jean. Nothing important." _Nothing you'd understand, _Scott added, hoping that she hadn't heard him think that. He didn't even know why he was acting or thinking this way. Didn't he have a good life? Didn't he feel like their was something to fight for? Scott rubbed his face and sighed. He thought he had known, but now all he was doing was questioning what had long been hidden in the back of his mind. To him graduation had been a defining point for all these years. It was something everyone waited for their entire lives yet when it came, it made you wish that you were still a kid. A kid that never really had to think about his future or what he was planning on doing for the rest of his life. It was truly a crossroads. A time of your life where you had to honestly sit down and examine what your life was really about. Scott didn't even know that much. All he knew was that tomorrow he was going to walk across that stage holding a diploma that signified nothing to him. Sure, he'd probably go off to college. But, what was he going to do there? In the end he didn't know if it was the right move. Was it what he really wanted to do?

Anytime you feel like you just can't hold on  
Just hold on to my love, I'll help you be strong

"You're thinking about tomorrow, aren't you?" Jean asked, interrupting Scott's thoughts with her voice. Scott didn't reply. He just seemed to slump in his place and breathe out a long sigh. "Scott, you know you can tell me. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

"Maybe I don't need any help, Jean!" Scott practically shouted and looked at her dead in the eyes. She winced at his words and backed away from him. For the first time in all of the years that she had known him, Jean was scared of him. The moonlight glinted off of her eyes and she cast them downwards, silent tears threatening to fall. Of all things she wished that she could read his mind right now. She wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was feeling. Unfortunately, he was blocking her out emotionally too. Jean hugged herself and looked away from him, biting her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have ever come out here. He obviously wanted to be alone. She thought that she could help, but that didn't seem to be what Scott needed.

But you're so afraid to lose, and baby I can't reach your heart  
I can't face this world that's keeping us apart.

Scott looked at her expression and immediately regretted his words. Why did he always have to say things without thinking sometimes? He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity and lack of sympathy towards other people's feelings. Scott moved towards her and placed a hand gently on her thigh. "Jean. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to say that, I'm just so… God, I don't know what I am anymore."

Cause I can be the one to show you everything you've missed before  
Just hold on now, cause I can be the one to give you more, let you know

Jean looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. He had turned away from her now and resorted back to looking up at the stars. His elbows were on his thighs and he kept on rubbing his face. Jean scooted closer to him very slowly. She didn't know what was going on inside that thick head of his but she wasn't Jean Grey if she didn't find out. She placed her slender hand onto Scott's upper arm and breathed relief when he didn't push her away. Maybe he was finally ready to open up to her. "Scott, don't do this to yourself. That's what I'm here for. Lean on me, tell me what's bothering you."

Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side  
Just let me be the one I can make it alright

"That's just it, Jean," Scott replied, turning to look at her with a non readable expression. At times like these was when she wished that she could read his expression by looking into his eyes like he could do to hers. It wasn't fair, but it was the reality of things. It took him awhile to make her understand what he was going to say. But at least Jean was getting him to open up to her, albeit very slowly. "I don't know what's bothering me."

Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright

"What do you mean, Scott?" Jean asked. "You're not excited about tomorrow?"

"No," was all that Scott said -- no emotion in his voice, whatsoever -- before he turned his head away from her again and looked at the distance in front of him that led to something that couldn't quite be seen.

I look into your eyes and I feel you comin' through  
I can't help but want you more than I want to

Jean looked at him, now completely perplexed. She knitted her eyebrows together and wondered why he wasn't happy about graduation. Who wouldn't be? It was the end of their childhood before they branched out into adulthood. It was supposed to be exciting. It was a day that everyone waited for, so why wasn't Scott proud of what he'd accomplished? When Jean had first met the mysterious boy with the rose colored glasses he seemed very intimidating. Jean didn't really like him at first. She thought that he was a bitter, emotionless person who wasn't worth her time of day. It wasn't until later on that she realized that there was much more to Scott Summers than a hidden face.

Jean realized that he only used that façade to cover up his true self. And what was behind that cover was that of a scared little boy who had about lost everything in his life. He hid himself in order to not show that it hurt to walk around in his shoes and dream every night of the death of your own parents. He hid because he was afraid of being turned away and thrown out on the streets. Scott hid because he was self conscious of himself. He had always been afraid of his power. The only true thing that stood between him and hurting other people were his glasses. Taking that into account, he still didn't think that he was very safe to be around even then. Jean still pondered why he still wasn't as excited as she was. After all, it was one of the most exciting days of their lives. Jean had thought that they should take it in and enjoy it to the fullest. Maybe she was wrong.

A sudden thought occurred to Jean just then. "You're scared." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Scott turned to look at her, surprise written all over his face. There was something else there too. Jean spotted it immediately. Fear. With that revelation, she knew that she had hit the spot. Scott Summers was afraid. Afraid of what, she didn't know, but that didn't mean that she wasn't proud of what she had just figured out. Everyone usually thought of Scott as the 'fearless leader' of the X-men. No one knew that deep down inside, Scott could be just as scared as the rest of them. And if Scott was scared of graduation, Jean intended to know what scared him about it.

"You're scared of graduating," Jean accused.

So baby take all of your fears and cast them all on me  
Cause all I ever wanted was just to make you see

"No, it's not that," Scott sighed. Sometimes Scott was scared that she knew him too well, even without her telepathy. "Jean, you wouldn't understand. You've got your entire future laid out for you. You've got your parents there for you. I…" Scott looked down at his hands in defeat. "I--I have nothing."

Once those words spilled out of his mouth, Jean's heart broke at his tone. She just wanted to take him in her arms and reassure him that he did have something. He had everything. Why was he sitting here torturing himself? This wasn't like Scott at all. The Scott that Jean knew wouldn't be sitting here feeling so sorry for himself… would he?

That I can be the one to give you all that you've been searching for  
Just hold on to my love and baby let me give you more… you know

"Scott, that's not true. How could you think that?" Jean asked making sure that each one of her words sounded convincing enough for him. What she was saying was true… the fact was that Scott probably figured she was just saying it to make him feel better. She grasped his upper arm and squeezed it in reassurance but he didn't respond and instead turned away from her.

Scott ran a shaky hand through his chestnut brown hair and stood up. He rubbed the bottom portion of his face and hugged himself against the cold air that whipped past him. It felt almost as if the wind itself was chastising him for sulking like this. "That's the problem, Jean. It is true. I'm gonna walk across that stage tomorrow ending a chapter in my life. I don't even know if the next one is worth starting." Jean stared at him with her mouth wide open. Scott didn't want to look back at her. He knew what her expression was. Hell, he didn't even know why he felt that way but he did. He felt like he was walking a path that didn't lead to anywhere. Jean would go off to college and he probably would too; but at least she knew what she wanted out of the hectic thing they all called life. Sure he was the leader of the X-men, Xavier's first student and got good grades in school… but the question was: was that enough?

Anytime you need love, baby I'm on your side  
Just let me be the one, I can make it alright

"Scott, I…" Jean was at a loss of words for the first time. She was truly speechless. What could she tell him that would make him feel any better? Was he even within reach of being made to feel better? She didn't even know the answer to that one. It was true; she did know what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to be a geneticist. Jean had always been intrigued with human structure and thought that maybe by studying genetics she would maybe be able to help mutants in a way. At least that's what she hoped. She also realized that her family was going to be there tomorrow. Her mother, father and sister. Jean had been so excited but now as the realization dawned on her, she found out that Scott's parents wouldn't be there at all. That, of course, wasn't the only thing that was bothering him.

"I'm nothing, Jean," Scott sadly stated. "I'm just another nobody, that's all."

Anytime you need love, baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright

Jean grabbed Scott's face and turned him towards her. She looked straight into his eyes… she knew exactly where they were. Tears were in her eyes. "Don't you _ever _say that Scott Summers, do you understand me? You _are_ somebody. _Never_ think otherwise."

"How can I, Jean?" Scott questioned climbing to his feet. He ran his hand through his hair again and Jean thought he looked like a helpless baby at that moment. "I don't know what I wanna do? There's no light at the end of the tunnel for me. It's over."

Now there's no way out and I can't help the way I feel  
Cause baby you're the fire and I'll be waiting right here  
You know my love is real

Jean got up and placed her gentle hands on his shoulders and turned to look at him. His head was down. "Scott, look at me." Scott looked up at her face and into her eyes. There he saw all the love in the world staring back at him. "There's always a light, Scott. You just have to look for it. You are one the most incredible people I know. I mean, do you think we could lead ourselves into battle without your guidance?" Scott didn't answer. He just continued looking at her. His eyes never leaving hers for even a mere second. "You're not a nobody, Scott. You're a good friend, leader of the X-men, a good student, a driven and dedicated person. And most importantly… you're the best boyfriend and my best friend all wrapped up in one package." Jean looked at him waiting for some kind of response. Jean was so relieved when Scott gave her a half smile. It was a half but at least it was something. She hugged him to her. "Don't worry. You'll figure it out, I promise."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Scott said through a muffled voice as he leaned into her shoulder, Jean's hair brushing across his face. She always smelled of strawberries and vanilla. Scott breathed her in very deeply, desperately wanting to stay in that position forever.

Anytime you need love, baby I'm on your side, you know  
Just let me be the one I can make it alright

"You know I'll always be there to help," Jean stated, hugging him more tightly. "I love you, Slim."

"I love you too, Red," Scott said, sending her everything that he felt from gratitude, warmth and love to her through their link. Jean sent her feelings over their link also. It was a great thing to have, especially when they couldn't completely express themselves through words. The link buzzed between them as their foreheads connected. The lips met in a tender warmth. A cold breeze suddenly blew past them and their lips broke away from each other. They looked at each other and realized that they really needed to head back inside. With their hands clasped together, they walked back to the mansion.

"So, are you still scared about tomorrow?" Jean asked as they neared the front entrance to the mansion.

"In a way, yes," Scott replied truthfully. "But, I know now that there's nothing to be afraid of, not really anyway."

"And why is that, Mr. Summers?" Jean asked curiously as she opened the doors and led them both inside and away from the breezy spring night.

"Because of you," Scott replied, kissing her hand lightly. Jean smiled at him. At least now he didn't feel completely lost about tomorrow. Jean wondered if he was still saddened by the fact that his parents weren't going to be there tomorrow, but if he was he didn't mention it. Jean still hoped that Scott's parents would be watching from somewhere. She hoped that they were as proud of him as she was. In time, she knew that he would figure it all out. Sometimes it just took some extra time to try and find yourself, she guessed. Now they could walk the road together and let their futures intertwine. "Thanks, Jean. You always know just what to say."

Jean smiled. "Anytime, Scott. Anytime."

Anytime you need love, baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright

**…………………………**

**A/N:** Now don't be afraid to press that little button to the left of the screen. Comments are worshipped. Please send feedback. Thanks!


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